A crowd of around 300 people gathered outside the building of Gabon's national broadcaster in the capital Libreville after military personnel seized the building.

Army officers attempted the coup in a bid to oust President Ali Bongo, who is currently recovering from a stroke in Morocco.

Lieutenant Kelly Ondo Obiang, the leader of the self-declared Patriotic Movement of the Defence and Security Forces of Gabon, claimed a New Year’s speech by President Bongo “reinforced doubts about the president's ability to continue to carry out of the responsibilities of his office.”

But just hours after staging the bid to take down the government, four out of five of the officers were arrested, government spokesman Guy-Bertrand Mapangou said.

COUP : The Army in Gabon attempted a military coup to overthrow its President Ali Bongo (Image: GETTY)

CONTROL: Footage broadcast early this morning show army personnel had seized control (Image: GETTY)